The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-13

that constitutes the honor and ornament OF tn
human mind. strikes me much moro than tn
passage dry-foot OF the Red Sea or the Jordan
Happy the man who will write the history o
Greece with love, at the age Of 90. after hav
| ing employed his whole life In studying tn
works that learned schools have devoted to itl
Although N. Renan envies the future histori
an OF Greece. he does not regret what he call
his "NazarBans VOW" which early in lif'
bound him to the jewish and Christian prob
lem. Jewish and Christian history" he says
have constituted the Joy Of eighteen centu
nos, and although now half conquered by Greel
rationalism. they have still an astonishing en-
cacy In improving morals. The Bible, in It'll
different transformations. Is. in spite OF every
thing. humsnitys great book Of consolation
1t is not impossible that, wearied Of tho re.
peated bankruptcy Of liberalism, the world viii
once moro become jewish and Christian. It is
then. above all, that It will DO fortunate thinp
II the disnterested history OF these great thinge
has been written; for the period OF impartial
studies on tho part Of humanity win. perhaps
DO not very long. The taste for history is the
most aristocratio Of all tastes; It IL In danger
After enunciattne these grand, luminous and
novel general ideas, M. Roman explains to us
his plan Of present and future work. During
the past six years he has been working on this
history OF tho Jews. and his history is now
complete down to the time Of Esdras. that is
to say. down to the deHnitive constitution Of
Judaism. These three volumes might be pub
lished at once II M. Renan were to die. but
his intention is to devote two more years to
polishing them. and 80 the second volume
will appear In years time from now. and the
third In two years. time. After that, II he still
lives, NJ. Renan will write the history OF the
Asmoneans. which will connect directly with
the life OF Jesus and the history OF the first
hundred and fifty years of Christianity. Thus
he. will have completed the cycle Of history
which he wished to review, and 80 be able to
say. with old Simeon. Nunc dinittis serr,nn
tu,tna, Domino, secIndum uerbum tu,ir,,, in pace.
In NJ Remains first volume the great re-
ligious movement Of Israel. which carried the
whole world along with 1t. is scarcely begun.
1srael's vocation is not evident At first glance
you might take it for an ordinary Syro- Arab
tribe. But the childhood Of the elect is full OF
promises and prognostics. and 1t is in the ages
Of the patrarohs that the destiny OF Israel be-
gins to be visible. Without the patriarchal age
nothing In the history Of Israel can be ex-
planned. But what documents have We con-
corning this period2 Before David are thero
any certain facts? No; but nevertheless we
may know many things about epochs anterior
tory. and yet they present q brilliant picture Of
Greek life thousand yenrs before Christ The
ArthuriRn romances Of the middle ages do not
contain one word OF truth. and yet they are
treasure houses OF information about the So
cial life OF the epoch. In such cases what we
want to know Is not how events happened.
but how they might have happened; so that we
may DO sure that what is- not true in one case
Is true in another. In his task N. Renan has
utilized the methods of modern criticism. and
the results Of the researches Of the modern
German and Dutch photographers and As
syriographers. as we'll as the works of his
erudits colleague Of the Institut, NJ. Maspero,
the great Psychologist.
The conclusion OF u. Remains preface must
be translated in full. Here it is:
Since first began to speak to the public Of
religious history, forty years ago, grave
changes have taken place. On the basis Of re-
ligion there is no longer any discussion, and
this. Think, is a very marked progress; 1t is
Of the fact that in tho infinite there
is room for each one to build his own romance.
Liberty in the American fashion Is the conse-
Quence OF this state Of things, and believe
that In hundred years almost all civilized ma
tons will come to 1t. We can wait patiently.
because already at the present day, in almost
all civilized countries, no one is constrained to
acts against his conscience. each one being
free to contract marriage. educate his children,
and order his funeral as he thinks proper
This Is an immense result. Tho moment
We admit that all churches without
being OF equal value. are a matter of tradition,
and not OF absolute truth. there is no reason to
be at variance on that which is only material
historical fact. The interminable polemics &C.
,asioned by the struggles of Catholicism. Prot
and Judaism have lost all utility
outside tho historical movement which they
have caused This historical interest, at any
rate. remains intact. Mon will long concern
themselves with religions after they have
leased to believe in them. The ruin of the
ology does not imply the ruin OF the history Of
theology. any more than the small interest now
to the study OF metaphysical philoso-
ply deprives the history OF ancient philosophy
II its interest," To see the past as 1t really was
s the highest JOY OF man and tho noblest OF
lis curiosities. 1t is always good to know the
ruth. If we could know the truth on the past
md On the present OF humanity We should be
perfect sages. Every fault is due to
IN error. II Louis XIV. had learned
he history OF Professionalism from better
sources than that of his Gallican theologians,
10 would not have revoked the edict of Nantes.
4 Saint Louis had been more enlightened on
he history Of the Church he would not havo
allowed his subjects to be declmsted by the
nquisition. II Marcus Aurelius had been
more familiar with the history of Christianity
he atrocious scenes OF the amphitheatre Of |
lyons would not have taken place. II the
legislators Of the Revolution had better known
he essence OF Catholicism. since tho Council
u Trent. they would not have dreamed OF a |
lational church for France. II the Radical |
'arty at the present day were less ignorant OF |
ellgtous history they would know that re-
lRions are like women-if you know how to
'roceed 1t Is easy TO obtain everything from |
hem, but II you proceed by force 1t is impos- |
ible to obtain anything
" Is this skeptical or negative result the only
ne which We get from the study of these long
rrors? Is 1t then Of such great consequence to
now by what stages poor humanity has
assed In order to arrive ut tho point whence
70 see that the submits of Olympus and Sinai
re desert, that heaven is empty and the earth
ute small, that thunder Is phenomenon OF
nore apparent than real amplitude. that the
ainbow is nothing but the play OF light re-
racted in rain drops2 No; tho reasoning of
.ant remains as true as ever; moral afIirma-